1. Field of Invention
The present disclosure of invention relates to a lamp assembly for use in a backlighted liquid crystal panel and more particularly to a lamp assembly having a structure that allows for manufacture with fewer parts, better alignability and reduced manufacturing cost.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical liquid crystal display (LCD) panel includes means for projecting an artificial light from behind the LCD array so as to better display a computer-generated or other pixel-based image using electrical characteristics and optical characteristics of a liquid crystal material included in the LCD array.
The typical LCD device includes a liquid crystal control unit that controls electrical signals applied to the liquid crystal material and it further includes a light-providing unit that provides light for illuminating the liquid crystal array even when used in darkness. For example, the typical LCD device includes an LCD panel assembly having the liquid crystal control unit, and a backlighting assembly serving as the light-providing unit of the LCD panel.
The backlighting assembly typically has a light source such as one or more fluorescent lamps inserted therein for generating light. Backlighting assemblies may be classified as being either of a direct illumination type of backlighting or as of an edge-illuminated type of backlighting depending on the position of the main light source. A typical edge-illumination type backlighting assembly includes a light guiding plate for disposition behind the LCD panel and a lighting source such as one or more fluorescent lamps or an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed at a side edge of the light guiding plate for directing light into the guiding plate. The guiding plate then guides the light through a back portion of the LCD array for projection of a resulting image towards the eyes of a user.
A typical edge-illumination type backlighting assembly includes a lamp assembly having at least one high voltage lamp of a thin and long cylindrical shape. The lamp is electrically connected to a high voltage generator (i.e., an inverter) through a set of power supply wires so as to receive electrical power from the generator/inverter and thereby generate light energy.
A conventional lamp assembly includes a lamp reflector, a lamp holder for receiving two or more cylindrical lamps, a set of power supply wires, a series-tapping return wire for returning a control signal to the power supply from a tap point provided along a series connection of lamps, a fixing tape for adhesively fixing the return wire to the assembly, a wire harness for harnessing the power supply and return wires, etc. The conventional lamp assembly is manually assembled as follows. The lamp holder is physically connected at solderable portions thereof to the power supply wires of the harness, and the power supply wires are then soldered to the lamp holder with the use of a hot soldering iron, solder flux and a spool of solder. Then, the so soldered lamp holder is closed so as to protectively house the soldered portion, and the lamp holder is thereafter mechanically coupled to the lamp reflector. Thereafter, the tap-point return wire is manually positioned into a groove formed on a rear surface of the lamp reflector, and the return wire is affixed to the assembly by using the fixing tape.
As described above, the conventional manufacture of the conventionally-structured lamp assembly includes the use of many parts, and many separate manual steps, each requiring good dexterity and each subject to something possibly going wrong during the manufacturing process. Additionally the tap-return wire of the conventional lamp assembly is routed to extend from a backside to another side of the lamp assembly and this presents an opportunity for the wire to be hooked and pulled off or something else to go wrong. Thus, the conventional lamp assembly has a structure that calls for a complex and manual assembly process in which a number of things can go wrong, thereby increasing manufacturing cost of the lamp assembly and making its manufacture less than fully reliable.